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NAPETERS, PMOTO-LITHOGRAFHER WASHINGTON D C GEORGE F. CL'EMNS, SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS."

Letters Patent lVo. 77,960, elated May .19, 41868; antedatehlillfag/ 15, 1868.

IMPVR'OVBD HEEL-Goan.

dige Srigrhnle referrer tu im4` tiges @hints zitcntimt nmting gin-tt nf tige Same.

T0 ALL. WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Beit known that I, GEORGE F. Cl'iEMONs, of Springfield, in the county of Hampden, and State of Massachusetts, have `invented a new and -useful Improvement in Heel-Gerke; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description thereof, reference being` had to the accompanying drawings, and tothe letters4 of reference marked thereon.

The characteristic feature of my said irnprovementis adapting a heel-cork to be self-securing to the boot of' the wearer, by means of spring-clamping vaction -of the ears of the heel-cork.

Figure 1 is a side elevation .of the heel-cork. l 'Figure 2 is ahott'om view of the heel-cork.4

Figure 3 is an end view of the heel-cork. The like letters refer to like partsin all the figures. Y The heel-cork is made oi' a single piece of steel plate, which is turned up'at its two narrowed ends, forming the slightly upward-curved base4 or foot-rest,`a, andthe two ears b and c, curved nearly as shown, so as to give, near their ends, inward-projecting clampingsnrfixces, which are armed with projecting catches, dal, formed hy upsetting the clamping-surfaces with a punch, and lngaway the lower side of the raised surface.

In the centre of the foot-resta is an upward-projecting' spur-pin, e, riveted securely to the footrest. 'On' each side of the spu'rfpin e, and near the hase of the ears b @and in the central line of the foot-rest a,are downward-projecting corks,ff,rivted securely to the foot-rest a.

.The longest ear, c, has, pivoted to its upper end, a releasing-lever, g, vturned outward at its enter end, which l is folded down on the ear e when the heel-cork is being worn, as shown in figs. 1 and 2.

In taking ofi` the heel-cork it is swung to the' position shown in fig. 3, tlius formnga lever-handle forspringing apart and releasing the ears from'the boot-heel. It is so bentor curved that whenv folded down it is secured in place by its pressure, against the ear c. A

The foot-rest a and ears 6 c aretempered to spring-temper.

`In using the heel-cork, it is Aplaced across the Ami'ddlcrof the hoot-heel, and, by a stamp ,of `the foot onthe iioorris forced to its proper position, with thespm; esunk 4in theboot-hcel, and the ears b c clamping against the sides of the boot-heel, and holding 'the heel-cork in place on the boot.

It will be observed, that whenthe foot rests on the heel-cork the pressure resulting is taken on 4the pin e and on the centre of the foot-rest a; -and will act to'press together the ear-sib c with a doubleyleverage action, the corksff forming the' fulcra of the two levers. u

i Certain modifications of the described device may be used, bu-t retaining the characteristic feature of the invention, which is the adaptation to a li'eeljcorky of means tov produce the clamping self-secu`ring action. v

Of such modifications are the following, viz l i l First, the spur-pin e may be dispensed with, and the foot-rest a be either smooth or ronghened surfaced, or otherwise provided with spurs or catches.` A y p i Second, th'e clamping-surfaces of the ears be may be either spurred, roughened, or plain.

Third, the releasing-lever g may be dispensed with. l

Fourth, the foot-rest a may be made rigid and inelastic, and have springclamping ears similar toband c secured to it by rivets or otherwise.

I claim as a new and of my invention- 1. A heel-cork, adapted to be self-securing to the boot by means,Hspring-clamping surfaces, substantially as described.

2. The releasing-lever @when employed substantially as described and for the purposes set forth,

. GEORGE F. CLEMQNS.

Witnesses:

LAURA D. CLEMoNs, .Tous Russian..` 

